Have had chances of rain all week.  Fortunately, it has hit us late in the day so everyone is getting in some fishing time.  Forecast for the next several days still includes chances of rain, but looks like we are going to dodge the bullet today and possibly most of tomorrow.  Let’s hope.  Just got off the phone with one of the guides out today and he said “we have white caps coming right up the river on Taneycomo”!  Think I mentioned that they ran water all day last Saturday and Sunday.  Ran a little Monday morning then shut it down around 10:00 a.m. and left it off until Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.  Ran all day yesterday and off this morning at midnight.  Projection for today is off all day. 

Fishing has been very good.  If you can sneak in between the wind and rain drops, you’ll be a happy camper. 

Jim on the water for a half day last Sunday.  He had a Jim from Mississippi who wanted to learn how to fly fish.  They had a good day learning and catching.  Fished the holographic green crackleback, a size 10 sculpin and a red San Juan worm. 

Monday was a floatathon.  Bill, from Oklahoma, spent half a day with Jim.  Good trip on pretty much the same patterns as Sunday, plus the red midge.  One of the Dallas, Texas fly clubs descended on us Monday.  The morning started out a little slow as they shut down the water around 10:00 a.m.  Once things settled down, everyone got into a lot of fish.  Dan (president of the club) and Lou, spent the day with Stan.  They had a great day on the olive zebra and copper dun midges.  Darrell took Tim and Richard.  Their boat caught lots of fish on the black head/olive midge, gold head/olive midge and a rusty midge.   Rich and Jim fished with Dana.  Good day for them on the rusty and red midges.

Rich - 4/18/11

Jim - 4/18/11

Meanwhile, Carolyn’s boat was bringing up the rear.  Charlie and Russ spent the day catching with her.  In addition to the copper dun and olive midges, we caught a few on the holographic green crackleback and an olive soft hackle.  Tough not to throw when you see those fish sipping.

Charlie - 4/18/11

Russ - 4/18/11

Tuesday was another great day for Bud and his brother, Gary, from Indiana.  They spent the day with Stan.  Gary is pretty new to the sport, but picked up quickly and both of them really enjoyed stripping the holographic green cracklebacks.  Also caught a lot of fish on the primrose & pearl midge.  A fast moving storm flared up around 4:00 p.m.  We called them from the shop to advise them let them know a storm was coming with possibility of a tornado, so Stan rowed like a mad dog to the takeout and they got out just as the first sprinkles of rain started falling. 

Everyone coming into the shop is catching.  Small tan or gray scuds, sizes 18 and smaller are working up near the Hatchery as well as the midges.  Olive wooly buggers and other various soft hackles are also working.

Can’t believe they left the water off most of the week and then ran the equivalent of one generator all weekend!  They must not be fly fishers!  Still seeing lots of wind too.  Yesterday morning was overcast, cool (40s) and windy.   By the afternoon, it cleared up, the wind stopped and it turned out to be a beautiful day.  Today is sunny, but windy.  Expect temperatures in the 70s tomorrow and partly sunny.  Tuesday, chance of isolated thundershowers and 80s.  Wednesday looks like partly cloudy and 70s.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday, are currently forecast for temps in the 60s to 70s, partly cloudy and chances of isolated thundershowers. 

Three boats out yesterday.  Jim had Tony and Mike from the St. Louis area out for a long half day float.  They had a good day on the red midge, red San Juan worm and a size 10 olive bugger.  Ed, also from the St. Louis area, and Malcolm, spent the day with Darrell.  They had a busy day catching on thr red midge and the holographic green crackleback.  John and John, from Columbia, MO. spent the day with Stan.  They also had a busy day catching on the red midge, holographic green crackleback and the primrose & pearl midge.  Temperatures was only 44 degrees when they started out and the hot soup for lunch hit the spot!

Looks like we got at least an inch of rain early this morning.  Thunder and lightening woke me up!  Little cool today, think our high is forecast in the mid 50s with cloudy most of the day and it is a little windy….what’s new?!  Saturday’s forecast is partly cloudy and mid 60s, with Sunday mostly sunny and lower 70s.  Both Monday and Tuesday there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms and temps Monday in lower 70s with Tuesday in the lower 80s.  Both Wednesday and Thursday look like upper 60s, partly cloudy and chance of showers. 

Other than yesterday, we have seen wading water every day over the past five days.  Monday afternoon they turned on a couple generators for three hours at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday afternoon they turned on three generators at 6:00 p.m. and kept some level of generation through the night and into and all day yesterday.  Off early this morning and projected to be off all day.

Stan on the water for half a Tuesday with KC and David from West Virginia.  First time they fished with us in 2003, KC was trying to get her husband hooked on fly fishing.  Good sign, they have been back since and again Tuesday, so I think she has succeeded.  The early part of the morning fished pretty slow, but Stan said a light went on at 11:00 a.m. and the fishing took off.  Good day on the P&P and rusty midges, and stripping the holographic green crackleback.  Ben from Kentucky, was on the river with Jim for a half day outting too.  Jim and Ben forked on casting, line work, hook setting and playing the fish.  Sore mouthed several fish and brought in several fish on the P&P, blood worm and size 12 olive bugger. 

Wednesday was a beautiful day.  Clear sky, little wind and mild temperatures.  Jay and Leslie, I believe now from the Branson area, and Bob and Kathy, also from the area, decided it was time to learn how to fly fish.  So, Carolyn took the ladies, and Jim took the guys.  Got some new fly fishers in the area!  Leslie and Kathy, after working on their roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, mending and other line management techniques, had a great day on the P&P midge.  Still need some practice on keeping the wrist straight on the back cast, but they are definitely coming along well.  Jim had the guys, Jay and Bob, after their work session on casting and line management, false casting so they could do some stripping work.  They were getting fish on the holographic green crackleback.  Fun day!

Leslie's first - 4/13/11

Kathy's first - 4/13/11

Back to the salt mine for Ben on Thursday.  A little more work on everything and then Jim had Ben catching on the olive bugger, red midge and a gray scud. 

Broken record here.  Fishing and catching is very good.  You better dust off the fly rod and go fishing!

Another windy day this past Monday.  However, fishing was still very good.  Other than the wind, it was a beautiful day full of sunshine and mild temperatures.  Today was a perfect day, sunny, clear and no wind!  Looks like a repeat tomorrow with upper 70s and a little wind.  Forecast for Thursday is partly sunny, chance of rain and mid 70s, Friday rain chances again and upper 50s with Saturday cloudy and mid 50s.  Sunday lower 60s and cloudy with rain chances, and Monday rain chances again and upper 60s.  As we know in the Ozarks….this is all subject to change! 

Can’t believe it, but the generation schedule says no generation again tomorrow.  We had no generation today, just a little generation Monday late afternoon, with the generators off all weekend. 

Monday, Amy helped her father, Jim celebrate his birthday.  Michael and LeNora were along to help her.  They all went wading with Carolyn for a few hours.  This was LeNora’s first time, and she got the “hook” of it pretty fast.  Once we got through a few basics of the roll cast, pick up and lay down cast, mending, hooking and playing a fish, AND found the color midge the fish wanted that day, she was into catching.  Everyone had a little trouble with hook sets as they have been bass fishers for a while and the hook set just isn’t quite that hefty.  Everyone had a great time, hope Jim enjoyed his birthday as much as everyone else seemed to.  We had several doubles and a few triples on at the same time.  The olive size 18 zebra midge was the fly of the day.

No rain so far today, but I think we are supposed to get some rain tonight.  It has been another WINDY one, but that has not hurt the fishing.  We now have a chance of showers tomorrow.  Generation pretty much as projected.  It has been off today and projected to be off all day.  No generation until tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

Dana on the water yesterday with a couple new fly fishers….they like it! 

Jessica's first Rainbow!

Jessica and Adam are from here in Missouri.  This was a graduation gift to Adam from Jessica. 

Adam & 16" Rainbow

Their best patterns were the rusty midge and the primrose and pearl midge. 

Joe, from Oklahoma, and his brother James, from Nixa spent all day Saturday with Stan.  Both good fishers and caught lots of fish on the primrose & pearl and rusty midges.  For some real fun time, they caught several on an insect green soft hackle, and a bunch on the holographic green crackleback. 

Folks coming into the shop today are grinning ear to ear.  Again, a bunch on the holographic green crackleback.  One fellow tore them up on a size 16 gray scud, and another on the rusty midge.  As I said, fishing is still good!

Weather has been pretty nice except for the wind.  Yesterday wasn’t too bad, but it looks pretty windy today.  Probably feels good with the 80 degree temperatures.  Thunder boomers woke me early this morning, but by 6:30 a.m. they were gone and the clouds rapidly disappearing.  We are expecting 80s again tomorrow, but the possibility of some nasty storms.  Monday will be partly sunny and mid 60s.  Tuesday low 70s and sunny with Wednesday showing partly sunny and temps again in the low 70s.  Thursday and Friday are looking cooler, 50-60s and the possibililty of rain again.  Think that was last weeks long-range forecast and it realy did not materialize. 

Generation has been pretty much as projected.  Last Monday, it came on for a little over an hour at 8:00 p.m. We have seen constant generation Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, anywhere from a low one generaot to a high two.  The exception was yesterday when they had it off until 4:00 p.m. (as projected) and when they turned it on, they cranked three generators.  Back off at 10:00 p.m. and it is off today.  We expect to see generation at 7:00 p.m. today.  Sunday is showing no generation all day, and Monday is not showing any generation until 6:00 p.m.

Stan out all day Thursday with Robert, from Illinos.  Robert tries to fish with us at least once a year.  He had a wonderful day using the size 16 red midge, size 18 primrose & pearl midge and stripping the holographic green crackleback. 

Yesterday, Stan, Dana and Carolyn had a annual group out all day.  Stan had two  fairly new to fly fishing guys, Dan and Randy out.  They had a very good day using the size 18 rusty midge in the morning, then switched to the

JP - Good Start!

size 18 rubyand  primrose & pearl midges in the afternoon  as well as stripping the primrose & pearl soft hackle.  Carolyn has JP and Mark out for the day  This was marks third trip and JP’s first.  After a few casting lessons for JP, it was off to catching fish.  We had a very good day on the size 18 ruby and primrose & pearl midges.  Later in the morning and for the balance of the trip almost (until they fired up the three generators), it was a size 18 olive midge.  JP started off his fly fishing esperience with a nice 15-16 inch rainbow.  Lots of

Mark - 18 inch Rainbow

nice fish, but also lots of smaller fish.  Wish these guys would hurry up and grow up!  JP even hooked and landed a few stripping the holographic green crackleback.  Good casting practice.  Meanwhile, Dana, who had Rich on the water all day, were catching fish, also on the ruby and primrose & pearl midges.

Rich w/1st fish on new rod!

Windy is the word for the weather this past week or more.  Temperatures have been pretty pleasant.  I think yesterday got into the 70s and it was partly sunny during the day, but the WIND.  Whoa!  Hard to make a decent cast!  Friday and Saturday look like temperatures in the low to mid 80s and partly sunny both days.  Sunday we have a chance of showers, but temperatures in the upper 70s.  Monday and Tuesday and partly sunny; temps Monday in mid 60s and Tuesday mid 70s.  Chance of showers again by Wednesday with temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s.  Water generation was off all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Generation of any significance did not come on 8:00 p.m. Monday.  Since then, we have seen the generation running from a low one generator up to a full two.  Today’s projection is for a low one, but I know they have had it at the equivalent of a low two earlier today, and it is now at the equivalent of one right now (10:30 a.m.)

Penny - 4/5/11

What can I say, but it has been WINDY on the river for days.  At least the temperatures are warm enough, the wind doesn’t make it bitterly cold.  And, fishing has been very good in the wind.  We will soon have a new resident in the Branson area.  Carolyn took Penny, who has been living in Alaska for many years, is moving to the area.  She has friends who live here and decided this was the place where she wanted to relocate.  After fishing Taneycomo Tuesday and Wednesday, she has just another good reason to settle here.  Fished good and solid all the time we were on the water.  At one time, when she was stripping the holographic green crackleback, if she went two casts without a hit of fish, we checked to make sure she still had a fly on her line.  The other good patterns were the large ruby and the size 18 ruby as a dropper.  Lots of small fish, but also a good number of larger fish ranging from 17 inches up to 18-1/2 inches.  As you can see, nice and fat and the colors are good. 

Stan had Paul and his friend, Ken, out for half a day yesterday afternoon.  They also did very well on the size 18 ruby midge, plus the size 16 red midge, holographic green crackleback and a red ass soft hackle.  Great day other than the wind.

Just as a side note, the red buds are in full bloom and the dogwood trees along the river are really starting to pop.  Probably be in full bloom over the next few days, especially since the weather will be warm.

Lots of wading time these past few days.  Tuesday they started shutting down for a few hours in the morning until 6:00 p.m.  Wednesday we had off water from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and Thursday was from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 pm.  Friday and the whole weekend absolutely no generation.  Must say the weather was not the best last Wednesday and Thursday, especially Thursday when it rained most of the day.  Friday, sunny and in the 60s, Saturday and today, sunny and temperatures in the 70-80s. 

This coming week doesn’t look too bad weatherwise.  Tomorrow is probably going to be the worst day of the week.  Low 50s with rain.  Tuesday and Wednesday are predicted to be partly sunny and 60-70s; Thursday a chance of showers with temperatures in the low 70s; Friday partly cloudy and low 70s, and we see a chance of showers again on Saturday but temperatures in the upper 70s.  Monday’s generation projection is for off all day until 6:00 p.m.  This, we will have to see.  Both Beaver and Table Rock are creeping up a little.

Jim out with Jim and Ron (brothers), from Minnesota last Wednesday.  Good day for the guys on the olive sculpin bugger, a size 18 black midge and a size 18 gray scud.  Good day for the guys despite the cool day.  But, being from Minnesota, they thought it was a pretty nice day!

Thursday, in the cool…almost cold!, rainy day, Carolyn had Ron and Kathy, from Louisiana out all day.  Even in the rain, Ron boated a nice 17 inch rainbow on a size 18 black soft hackle.  However, I think Kathy (front of the boat syndrome) outfished Ron that day.   Fish didn’t know it was raining  most of the day….as they hit soft hackles and holographic green cracklebacks all day!  Good day.  Stan was out all day with John, from Sedalia, and his friend, Phil, from Kansas.  They had a good day fishing a size 18 black zebra midge drifting the high bank below Lookout Island. 

Friday was an awesome day!  Stay took Dr. Ernie and his grandson, Tom, out for half a day.  They are from the Springfield area.  Grandpa said his grandson was a better fisher than he was.  Watching Tom throw a line, he was pretty darn good!  They had a wonderful day on the primrose & pearl, rusty and ruby midges.  All size 18.  Darrell and Carolyn were rowing the Louisiana crew around!  Carolyn had “the Stripper”, aka Dawn, and Darrell had Albert and James Albert out.  This was Darrell’s first outing since his knee replacement.  Maiden voyage and he did really well.  Good to have you back on the water Darrell!  As for the fishing, the guys quit because they got tired of catching fish.  Their best flies were primrose & pearl and copper dun midges in size 18.  Now the ladies, on the other hand, were still fishing when the guys were loading up the boat.  Hot flies were a size 18 ruby midge and a size 16 rockworm caddis soft hackle.  Couldn’t keep the fish off it!  Needless to day, the “cacklecraft” was in true form.  Jim introduced a couple guys from Maine to the wonderful world of fly fishing.  Norm and Phil said they wanted to try their hand at this fly fishing thing.  Jim had them throwing pretty good lines by the time he kicked them loose.  They had a great day pulling the olive sculpin, as well as drifting the size 18 primrose & pearl midge with a blood worm dropper.

Talked with a few people who said yesterday was a bit tough.  Gina and I were at the Tri-Lakes Fishing expo in Brighton yesterday wishing we were fishing.  Pretty good turnout, but I think lots of people were taking advantage of the beautiful day.

Yes, we do need some rain for the flowers.  Although our red buds, cherry and pear trees and many flowers have already hit full bloom, we still need some rain.  Weather forecast pretty much on track, partly cloudy and mid 40s tomorrow, chance of showers Tuesday and mid 40s; mid 50s Wednesday and partly cloudy.  Back to chance of showers and upper 50s Thursday…good news Friday with partly cloudy and lower 60s and partly sunny and mid 60s on Saturday. 

Saturday, we did have no generation until about 1:00 p.m., as projected, with the equivalent of slighly under one generator for the balance of the day.  Today, the projection is for a low one generator all day.  Think the all day part is correct, but they are runnint just a little higher than one generator.  Tomorrow’s projection is for a low one generator all day.

Both Wednesday and Thursday, Jim had Clay and his younger brother, Tucker, on the water for half a day.  The boys had a good day on the primrose & pearl midge and a size 18 gray scud.  This time, they got to try their hand at pulling a size 12 sculpin bugger. 

True Grit! – Yesterday, Cathy, who is transferring from Nebraska to Virginia for a new assignment on the USS Harry Truman, spent half a day on the water with Gina.  Since is was lightening and thundering in the a.m., Cathy sat in on the fly tying clinic.  Around 11:30 a.m., they saw a clearing, so off to the water with hot coffee, hand warmers, and fly rod in hand.  Tough day on the water, thank you weather.  Got some mist and got some fish!  Fish were not too interested in midges, but took notice of the olive floozie and filoplume.  Yeah!  Good luck Cathy on your new assignment.

We went from summer to winter almost overnight!  80s on Thursday and upper 30s on Saturday!  Forecast for the next few day doesn’t look great.  Could probably say it was more typical spring weather than anything.  Mid 40s and partly cloudy tomorrow, with chances of showers Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and temperatures from mid 40s to low 50s  Thursday we start looking up with mid 50s, partly cloudy and then partly sunny and upper 50s or better by Friday.  One forecast I saw even said 70s by Friday.  That remains to be seen. 

Generation still erratic….what’s new.  Lots of off time Wednesday (and fishing was great)!  Thursday was off in the morning until 6:00 a.m., on for four hours, then off for 5-6 hours and back on.  Yesterday, with a projection of low one all day, we actually saw off from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. then back on.  Off this morning and running about the equivalent of one generator now.  Started up around noon, pretty much as projected.  Projection for Sunday is low one all day then off most of Monday. 

Missed posting a trip Stan had out last Monday.  Gus and Dianne walked into the shop and said they wanted to go fishing.  So, Stan saddled up and off they went.  Very good day on the water for these two fly fishers from Illinois.   Lots of fish on the holographic green crackleback as well as a couple versions Dianne ties.  When they weren’t stripping, the primrose & pearl did its job.. 

Wednesday, Betty and Phil spend half a day with Stan.  Another one of those WINDY days which dealt these new fly fishers a bit of a fit.  However, they still caught lots of fish on the holographic green crackleback and primrose & pearl midge.  Meanwhile, Dean and Gary from Kansas spent the day with Dana.  They too were having a very good day on the primrose & pearl midge.

Dean - 3/23/11

Garu - 3/23/11

Thursday, Stan and Dana had a group out from Texas.  All are pretty new fly fishers.  As a matter of fact, Caroline caught AND touched her first trout!  Caroline and Todd spend the half day with Dana, and Stan worked with Johnny.  Although fishing was not as good as Wednesday, this group still had a good day on the water and caught more trout than they have so far.   

Caroline's first - 3/24/11

Todd - 19" - 3/24/11

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